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Three years after the construction of the University of South Florida (USF) Sarasota-Manatee campus, students now have a space to call their own. That space, a vibrant student courtyard, a aesthetic retreat from the classroom and locus of student spirit, had been delayed because of budgetary restraints. However, in the fall of 2009, it was finally opened through the efforts and support of its students.
The courtyard was part of the original Sarasota-Manatee campus' Academic Facility designed by RS&H. But many of the landscape features planned for the U-shaped building, which houses classrooms and faculty offices, had to be postponed. Sadly, when the facility opened, the anticipated courtyard was empty and underused, as there was a lack of seating, shade and landscaping. More importantly, students were deprived of the spirit and ????????(C)lan it expected to evince.
Envisioning an area that could be the hub of campus life, the Student Government Association (SGA) voted to redesign the courtyard to make it more student-friendly, a place to socialize, study and relax on campus. The SGA paid for the $750,000 project with a portion of student fees dedicated to enhancing student life, and worked closely with the USF Sarasota-Manatee Facilities Planning and Management Department and consulting firm RS&H to design the outdoor space.
Project Manager Carey Llazari, of RS&H's Health, Education and Science program, said the plan, which took six months to design and six months to construct, was guided and approved by a steering committee comprised of students, faculty and consultants.
"We had three members of the student government as advisors, an ADA representative, facilities team member and Ron Sill as well as myself," says Llazari. "The committee came up with several ideas that we tried to integrate into the final design." She says the three prominent themes that emerged were color, shade and school spirit.
"It was a barren, hot space," says RS&H designer Ron Sill, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP. "We wanted to take it from being a space without a personality to one that reflected the character and spirit of the university and, particularly, the students," Rick Lyttle, director of facilities planning for USF Manatee-Sarasota, says that the popularity of the space has been overwhelming.
"The courtyard was to be the focus of the campus, and now there has been a complete turnaround. Barbecues are common and classes are always being held out there," says Lyttle. He says the canopy has become a great backdrop for evening activities, many more than he could have imagined.
Lyttle says school officials and students challenged the architect to create not only a pleasing space, but also an area imbued with school spirit.
"The way RS&H engaged students in the planning made them feel it was their project," says Lytle. "They deserved kudos for that."
The enhanced courtyard, named after Clyde G. Nixon, the late chairman of the board at Sun Hydraulics Corporation and a former campus board member, also features a tensioned fabric canopy shade structure with seating walls and planters, benches, a central fountain and reflecting pool, plantings, and young oaks throughout that will provide even more shade as they grow. Large trellises with blooming bougainvillea flowers cover walkways and are reminiscent of the Martin Luther King Plaza on USF's main campus in Tampa. The courtyard borders a beautiful pond and proudly features at its center a large raised bronze sculpture of the USF bull, the University's mascot, bringing life and a sense of school spirit to the once empty space.
"The canopy shade is a logical extension of the student space and classroom into the courtyard," says Sill. "We wanted something that was iconic and free form that would not conflict with the building."
The canopy lights up in the evening with different colors, magenta, blue and green, adding a striking and artistic centerpiece to the courtyard and dramatically reflecting the contrasting dynamic of form between it and the building.
One of the unique features of the courtyard is an open barbeque area, complete with two large grills served by water and electric, as well as seating areas. It is now the site of the dean's annual barbecue. Space was left open for student events and other activities, including the annual Perlman Music Program, where students come from around the world to study with famed violinist Itzhak Perlman. Rehearsals and master classes are held under tents in the courtyard.
"It was a barren, hot space. We wanted to take it from being a space without a personality to one that reflected the character and spirit of the university and, particularly, the students." ?EUR??,,????'?????<
In all, USF, RS&H and the students took what was once an under-shaded, hot, and minimally landscaped courtyard and turned it into an energetic outdoor setting aimed at invigorating and bringing together students, staff, faculty and the community. The opening last September provided a warm welcome for students attending their first week of classes. Over 200 people attended the ribbon cutting, including school board members, elected officials, community leaders and donors. USF students hosted a barbeque lunch.
Project Team?EUR??,,????'?????< RS&H: Lead design consultant and provided construction administration services. The firm also designed the campus' Academic Facility Building on the courtyard. RS&H is a multidisciplinary firm with over 800 associates and 33 offices nationwide. Walbridge: Construction manager for the courtyard. Studio Eclairage: Programmable architectural lighting.
Other Key Team Members
Vendors
Raleigh, North Carolina
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
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